


Moving Forward

by pakupakusan



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, One-Sided Relationship, Oneshot, Regret, Superheroes, Swearing, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 08:25:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13923219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pakupakusan/pseuds/pakupakusan
Summary: Terra rolled her eyes, ignoring his smile and her conscious. She should really be home in bed. She shouldn’t be here. Of course, she was being a good friend, maybe a good sister? They were like family and they did save the world together at one point in their lives. Being on a team was one way to force bonding on a group of people.





	Moving Forward

"This is the last time," she muttered to herself. "Cuz it's all Cooper after this." 

_You should do what's best,_ echoed in her thoughts.  _But it'll be the last time. You just have to pick up the idiot who called you right before you hopped into bed._ Terra couldn't believe there was a time when she found this endearing-like she was the only one James could depend on. She was the one person who could help him out when he was in a pinch. Now, this was just annoying. She wanted to go to bed and get ready for work the next day. 

She rolled her wheel to the right. She could see James from the other end of the street even though her headlights and the street lamps were the only things that allowed visibility. She drove up to the man standing on the pavement. His thin pair of boxers was the only thing protecting him from the cool whispers of the night. His garments were collected in his arms, but spilled as he bent down to her while she rolled down her window. His jeans and shoes dropped from the pile. Their eyes followed, but eventually their gazes met again. The girl gave a blank stare and he responded with a grin. 

Terra rolled her eyes, ignoring his smile and her conscious. She should really be in bed. She shouldn't be here. Of course, she was being a good friend, maybe a good sister? They were like family and they did save the world together at one point in their lives. Being on a team was one way to force bonding on a group of people. 

"You're not going to say bye to your lady friend?" she teased him. 

"Well, you know the drill." His laugh rolled off his tongue. 

"Get in," she shook her head. 

He laughed, "You're my hero, Terra." He looked down at her again, his eyes fixated at her top. "What are you wearing?" He figured she would be frozen from the frigid late night air if it wasn't for the oversized gray jacket. James swore that he saw that jacket somewhere before-on someone else before, someone male. 

"Got a problem with my pajamas?" playful anger in her voice. "You're the one who called saying it was an emergency." 

"Were you  _really_ sleeping?" James slipped into the passenger seat. " _OR_ were you up building some fancy cellphone app?" he finished as he slammed the door closed. 

"Shut up." 

"Oooohhhh," he slipped his white long sleeve over his shoulders. "1 for James." 

"1,000 for Terra," she retorted. "Guess who saved your ass from one night stands countless times?" 

"Yeah? We're going there?" he scoffed. "Should I count every zombie that  _I_ shot down before you infected their computers with viruses? CUZ OH YEAH THAT'S 50-80 GILLION." He moved towards her, crossing into her space. 

"Stop," she planted her palm on James's face and pushed him back to his area. "You're an idiot," she smiled. 

The drive was like previous saving acts. He would recall his encounter while changing into his garments and she would pretend to listen. This time it wasn't hard for her to keep her eyes on the road and off his well-toned arms or giggle at the sight of his washboard abs. Terra didn't have to hide the look of seething disgust for the women he attempted to pleasure that night. She barely listened to him as he laughed at his own pick-up lines. This time, Terra was fighting the gnawing feeling in her gut. 

"Hey!" he yelled.  _Damn, he was always so loud, even back then._ "Are you even listening?" 

"Oh, no." 

"TERRA, IT WAS IMPORTANT."  _He was always a little too dramatic too._

"But, we're here." She put her car in park. 

"Awesome! I can't wait to play video games!" he reached for the door handle. "Wait!-" James quickly circle back to her. "Why are we at my place?" 

She scratched her head focusing her attention on the roof of her car. Terra wouldn't dare to look at him. One look of his pout and she would answer any of his appeals. 

"Teeeeerrrrr-raaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," he whined. 

Terra cleared her throat, but not the feeling in her chest. 

"Well," she had to phrase this carefully before she offended him. "I'm tired." 

"But we ALWAYS go to your place after this." 

"Ummm..." she turned to her window. 

"Come on. We should catch up. I haven't seen you for a long time. When was the last time we had a one-on-one like this? Was it like a month ago?" 

"This is the last time..." It didn't come off as strong as she wanted it to. 

"What the fuck?" His response was abrupt. "Is it because of that prick?" 

"Coop isn't a-" 

"Coop? Since when did you- Is it because you're dating?" 

"No..."  _Dammit, I'm getting nervous_. She didn't know why James scared her when he raised his voice in a threatening way. Maybe it was because Terra only knew him as the jokester on the team. He lightened the mood when they were all feeling down. 

"Well, it's just that, you know, Harry always called hime that and it sort of stuck." 

"Are you serious? I save the world and-" 

"Get out." 

James was taken aback. Terra never yelled at him like this in the 18 years that he knew her. His heart sank when he saw her white knuckles on the wheel. He reached out to them only to be interrupted again. 

"Get out." It was louder and darker. 

"Hey, I'm-" he paused trying to reword his apology. James never had the pride to take the blame for something, especially when it was his fault. "I just hate that I'm your #2 now." 

Terra yelled some curse words before getting out of her seat and slamming her door. His gaze followed her as she made her way around her car. It had been years since he took a good look at her. She was once the tiny framed, flat chested tech wizard, who he always got a knack for teasing her for her teenage crush on him. Well, she didn't really have a choice. He was the most handsome one of their super team, if he had to say so himself. Terra didn't really grow in the chest department, but she made up for her womanly qualities with smarts, kindness, and wit. 

Terra pried open his door. "Get. Out. Now." 

James looked at her hand on the top of the door window. His eyes continued to analyze his longtime friend until they landed on the sliver band on her finger. He swallowed the regret that swelled in his throat.  _Heh. She always liked it simple, didn't she?_ Sorrow filled the blue of his eyes. He signed and finally complied. The man did his best to smile but they both knew he couldn't hide the tormented storm stirring beneath the surface. 

"You know, you could have waited." 

Fire ignited in her eyes as her brow furrowed. "You know, you weren't the only one who saved the world and didn't get what they wanted. Not everything can be handed to you just 'cuz you saved the world 12 years ago!" 

"Are you kidding me?! Harry got a full ride to Brown and ended up finding the cure to like 20 diseases! You got to study in Japan and became a tech queen!! You're the female Steve Jobs. Cooper got-" 

"Cooper got what? Cooper got to be a Senator after opening an organization dedicated to fighting those zombies we risked our teen lives fighting." 

"Cooper got you." 

Terra undid the tight grip in her fists. She saw the tears brimming in his eyes. She only saw him cry twice in her life. The first time it was because she snuck around their base and found his secret spot. He missed his family and couldn't handle the responsibility of saving millions of lives. The second time was when he was reunited with them for the first time ever. Both times she panicked and rushed over to hug him. 

"What about me? I just work at the bar, get drunk, and sleep with any chick that recognizes my accomplishments from back then." 

She hated it when he got emotional. Terra once found it endearing, brave even. She could never let herself break in front of their teammates. James was always the one who managed to remind everyone they were only human. Sure, he was a flirt, but that made her fall in love back then. 

Terra took a deep breath to restructure her thoughts. "James, you made your own choices." She looked up to him. "We can't live in the past anymore." 

"Then why did you move faster than me?" 

"What Cooper and I have is not your business." 

They were quiet.

"This is the last time." She closed the passenger door. "Good night, James." 

"When did it happen?" he gestured to her hand. 

"Oh!" She hid her hand behind her back. "It actually didn't happen yet. You know Coop can't hide anything. He said I could wear it since I already found it." She giggled to herself reminiscing the look of surprise and embarrassment when she found it under a pile of his campaign documents, which he asked her to review. "We'll probably announce it officially after he tells my parents next weekend." 

He hated it. He used to be the reason for the blush across her cheeks or her bunching the end of her jacket in her hands. Cooper, his longtime rival, was the reason she endearingly rambled. 

"Don't forget to invite me to the wedding." 

"Of course," she grinned from ear to ear. 

They waved final goodbyes, and he watched her drive away. 


End file.
